


where there's smoke

by mearcats



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 08:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13096758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mearcats/pseuds/mearcats
Summary: Killian and Emma babysit for Regina's and Mal's daughter.





	where there's smoke

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Oparu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oparu/gifts).



> All the best to the lovely Oparu, and this fits in her Purple Hat 'verse, though it can be a standalone.

Killian smiles down at Ara, the dimples in chubby little cheeks so reminiscent of Mal’s. The purple hat–the first of them, that is–that Emma knitted for is perched jauntily on her small head, and he can’t resist brushing a quick, affectionate kiss across her forehead.

It’s that sight, her husband and her friends’ child snuggled together on the couch, that greets Emma when she finally gets home that evening. It does things to her, makes her feel and want in a way she hasn’t really let herself.

She knew it was dangerous, had known it was dangerous since she and Killian had agreed to babysit Araceli while Regina and Maleficent took their first trip away together since Ara was born. (It was just overnight, nothing too strenuous, but more than Lily was ready for.)

It shouldn’t have been dangerous, but it sure seems that way. Emma’s not used to it yet, the  _hope_  and the  _belief_ that she could actually have the things she yearns for. It still seems ungrateful, maybe even greedy, to want more when she has so much now. She has Henry, she has Killian. The rest of her family–her parents and brother, Regina and Mal and Lily and now little Ara–is something that isn’t about blood, it’s about love, and she’s still getting used to the abundance of that in her life.

“Hello, love,” Killian says, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She shakes her head and walks over to him, attempting a quick hug. “Hey yourself.”

It isn’t entirely successful.

Ara burbles her own greeting, a happy little sound. Emma feels those pangs of longing again but buries them with a chuckle. This is good. This is nice. “I’d kiss you, but…”

“Well, I’m game, but I think you’d also be signing up for a very slobbery kiss from little miss dragon here.”

“Mm, could be worse,” she says, and Killian kisses her. She returns it for a second before Ara squawks, clearly unhappy at having temporarily lost their attention. “Hand her over and let me bask the cute.”

Killian does, his eyes crinkling as he smiles, and she sees love, contentment, and maybe some longing of his own. Maybe…

“She certainly is cute and will suffice to drive away any of the day’s ills. Is something wrong, love? You do seem a bit tense.”

She sighs and snuggles into his arms. With Ara in hers and with her in Killian’s embrace, the day doesn’t seem quite so bad. “Ugh, today was the worst.”

“Oh? What happened? Anything I should have done or should know about?” he asks, a brow raised.

“Dwarf fight. Well, dwarves and merpeople. It was a thing. It’s under control now,” Emma says. “And besides, you had this little lady.” She bounces Ara lightly in her lap, barely resisting the urge to pull her close and smother her in kisses.

“Regina and Mal didn’t drop her off until after five.”

“Still, it’s fine now.”

“As long as you’re sure.”

“I am.” And she is. How could she not be, with her wonderful, supportive husband holding her, and the cutest baby in Storybrooke in her arms?

&&&

It’s almost eight when calamity strikes.

And it’s not even really calamity. It’s just…a snafu. Sure, that’s what Emma is going to go with.

Araceli sneezes.

Normally, a sneeze is no cause for alarm. All of them have sneezed. Hell, even Ara has sneezed before around them.

But this might be the first time she’s gone a little scaly and that the sneeze is accompanied by smoke.

Emma panics–she’s not really spent much time around a lot of babies anyway, and one that might well start breathing fire? That’s a whole different ball game. This is just way different from baby Neal, and she’s not entirely sure what to do with the kid in her arms.

“Whoa, whoa, little lady,” Killian says, and he’s running a soothing hand across Emma’s back as he reaches for Ara. “Smoking isn’t a good habit in one so young, or so I’m told. And especially not on the lovely woman who’s holding you.”

As soon as she’s settled in his arms, he looks back at Emma. “You all right, love?”

“Yeah, it’s just…she’s a dragon. Like, logically, I knew that. But the whole smoke thing–and whoa, she has little fangs.”

Sure enough, Ara does indeed have the tiniest of fangs protruding from the tiniest of snouts.

Killian blinks and says somewhat dumbly, “Well, that’s new.”

“Huh, so this isn’t something that happens all the time that no one told me about?” she asks.

“No, I’m afraid this is new to everyone. Maleficent would have said something…”

“Shit–shit, I shouldn’t say shit around her, should I?–do you think this is some kind of milestone? And that Regina and Mal will be upset they missed it?” Emma asks.

Killian looks back at her helplessly and shrugs, but his attention is diverted when Ara reaches for his hook. She succeeds in gnawing on the curve of the hook, her sharp teeth leaving scratches along the metal.

Then Emma laughs, because Killian just looks so…offended. Ara looks up happily at the sound of Emma’s laughter and lets out a little chortle of her own.

And maybe it’s not even a snafu after all.

&&&

They make it through the night. It’s not the easiest thing they’ve ever done, but it’s not, like, the Black Fairy or anything.

Poor little Ara is clearly coming down with something. She’s been sneezy all night (not  _Sneezy_ , to Emma’s neverending relief) and dragon-y qualities have come and gone. She looks entirely human right now, asleep in her little travel bassinet.

She’s almost done making breakfast when she hears a knock at the door. To her surprise, it’s Regina and Mal, home hours earlier than originally planned. “Hey, what are you guys doing back so soon?”

“We…we missed Ara,” Regina says, and she looks a little chagrined but otherwise unashamed.

Mal nods in agreement. “We did. We hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Not at all! She’s great. I think she might be coming down with something, she was a little sneezy and congested, but she was a trooper.”

Emma hears Killian coming down the stairs, Ara cocooned in his arms. He quirks an eyebrow at her. She shakes her head, hoping he picks up on her silent cue to not question her…omission. “Aye, the little lass was a delight. We’d be happy to look after her whenever you’d like.”

He’s not wrong, but Emma elbows him anyway. “We really would be. But for now, do you all want to join us for breakfast? Ara’s asleep, and we have plenty extra.”

They finally step into the house, but Regina looks horrified–and amused–when she sees what Emma’s made. “Are those…pancakes? What exactly are you and the pirate offering, Emma?”

Emma groans. “Does everyone know about that? It was one time,” she says.

“You know your mother can’t keep a secret, and who else would she have told? Charming? Granny?”

Killian shudders, his ears pink.

Mal laughs and takes mercy on them, taking Ara in her arms. She stirs but doesn’t wake, settling quickly into her mother’s arms.

“I promise, the only pancakes on offer are the ones on that plate,” Emma says. “And hey, if anyone still wants to murder my mom, I’ll help.”

Regina snorts, but doesn’t tease them further.

&&&

An hour or so later, after breakfast is over and Mal, Regina, and Ara have gone home, Killian is holding Emma on the couch.

“So, love, I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t mention any of Ara’s more…dragon…adventures,” he says.

“Uh, yeah, no. I’m pretty sure that would count up there with someone else being there for the first time your baby talks. I’m going to let them have that.”

Killian’s features soften and he reaches out to caress her cheek. “You’re a good friend. And a good mother.”

“You think?”

“I know so.”

Killian isn’t looking at her, but she can feel his attention on her. “We’ve never really talked about it, but…I wouldn’t be opposed to, uh, talking about kids?”

“Truly, Emma?” he asks, breathless and eyes wide as he turns back to her.

“Yeah, I think it could be good.”

Maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with asking the universe for more.


End file.
